Monday, February 17, 2014

When it comes to eating out, my family wouldn't typically be called spontaneous.

We pretty much always plan ahead for which day and time we'll go out, not to mention having preplanned the restaurant (and, quite often, the actual order). We like what we like and we stick to it!

However, that isn't to say that we can't adapt. And, most recently, our flexibility was put to the test when, much to the dismay of the kids, we arrived at our planned location (a new place even!) only to find out that the restaurant we were visiting for lunch... was only open during dinner hours.

It's worth noting here that it was my darling husband who overlooked this important detail. Good work, Dear!

Fortunately, after having been a part of the Restaurant.comReview Crew for nearly a year now, I quickly pulled out my phone with hopes of saving the day (and extinguishing the whining). Sure enough, in less than five minutes I had the free Restaurant.com app downloaded, found that there was a great option only blocks away, selected and purchased my certificate, and we were on our way!

It couldn't have been much easier and I'm thrilled that I now have this handy app on my phone for future use! I love that it quickly and easily uses location-based technology so that I can always find restaurant deals where we are or, for traveling, I can just type in the zip code or city to find what will be in the area.

It only takes logging into your account and a few more taps before you're able to purchase your certificates at home or on the go and then simply show your wait staff the digital certificate on your iPhone and they can redeem it directly from there.

Now that we were ready to eat, it was time to see just what the entire family would be able to enjoy during our first visit to Casa del Sol!

Located in Fitchburg, Wisconsin (right on the south side of Madison), Casa del Sol restaurant serves delicious Mexican fare in a casual and friendly environment. Whether you stop by with friends for a margarita on the outdoor deck or bring the whole family for a filling meal from start to finish, this restaurant has the classics and specialties that will result in a smile.

Right inside, we found a colorful and festive lobby area, the Cantina (bar) off to the left and the spacious dining areas to the right.

After we were settled and had been immediately served a basket of chips and salsa, we took to perusing the menu... which proved to be a much more difficult feat than we initially had thought.

No matter what type of Mexican food you are in the mood for, Casa del Sol most likely has it on their menu, as page after page is filled with tasty ingredients like cheese, beans, rice, chicken, seafood, beef and pork in a wide variety of appetizers, salads, burritos, enchiladas, tamales, tacos, chimichangas, tostadas and more.

We were pleased to see that there was a separate children's menu printed right on the back of a coloring page (so that the kids were able to stay busy as well as order smaller portions just for them) and it wasn't long before we were all happy with our chips, salsa, an order of delicious cornbread and a daiquiri for the adults.

Although it was slightly difficult to not overeat with what we had already been served, it wasn't long later before our meals were brought to the table and looked just as tasty.

...and I was happy to see that they received portion sizes large enough that would fill them both up for the afternoon.

At the same time, my husband was extremely eager to dig in to his multiple plates of fajita fixings...

...and I couldn't wait to bite into my Ensalada del Sol (with the grilled chicken on the side so that my meat-eating family members could enjoy it).

The results? It was all just as delicious as it looked!

Even after many of us cleaned our plates and made multiple comments about how much we enjoyed our dishes, we still had a hankering to get the full picture of what Casa del Sol had to offer.

So what better way to do that than to finish off the meal by sampling not one, not two but all three of the dessert options that they had that day?

Oh my. Fried ice cream, Sopapillas and Flan?

Oh myyyyy.

We managed to not gorge ourselves completely and did take much of the dessert (plus more) home with us, but overall we definitely left full and happy (and slightly sugared up). Big Sister E even pointed out more than once that she was glad that the other restaurant was closed and really liked this one instead!

While the prices at Casa del Sol are reasonable to begin with, using our Restaurant.com gift certificate made the whole meal quite the bargain. Our waiter had no problem redeeming the certificate on my phone and it was definitely a positive experience and afternoon that we'll surely repeat again!

For more information about Casa del Sol, visit their website and connect with them on Facebook. To find out about all of the money-saving options that Restaurant.com has to offer in your area (or in an area that you are planning to visit), head over to Restaurant.com as well as on Facebook and Twitter.

As a member of the Restaurant.com Review Crew, I have been provided gift cards and compensation in order to facilitate my reviews. However, all thoughts and opinions are honest and my own.